Getting Started

Getting started with Workspace Tasks. This will describe how to install, what requirements are needed for iinstalling, and for executing sepecific tasks.

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Table of Contents

1. Quick Start
   1. 1. Open a Workspace
   2. 2. Open the Workspace Tasks View
   3. 3. Browse and Run Tasks
   4. 4. Add to Favorites
   5. 5. Create a Compound Task (Queue)
2. Tips for Getting the Most Out of Workspace Tasks
3. Next Steps

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Quick Start

Once installed, follow these steps to start using Workspace Tasks:

1. Open a Workspace

Open a folder or workspace in Visual Studio Code that contains supported task files such as package.json, Makefile, build.gradle, or any other supported task type.

2. Open the Workspace Tasks View

You can view your tasks in two places:

• Sidebar (Activity Bar): Click the Workspace Tasks icon in the Activity Bar on the left
• Explorer Panel: Find “Workspace Tasks” in the Explorer panel; you can drag it to your preferred location

3. Browse and Run Tasks

Tasks are organized hierarchically:

Workspace Folder
└── Task Type (e.g., npm, Makefile, Docker)
    └── Task File (e.g., package.json)
        └── Individual Tasks

To run a task:

• Double-click the task to run it immediately
• Click the play icon (▶️) in the task action bar
• Right-click for additional options

4. Add to Favorites

Click the star icon (☆) next to any task to add it to your Favorites. Favorites appear at the top of the task tree for quick access.

5. Create a Compound Task (Queue)

Click the compound task icon next to any task to add it to a compound task. Compound tasks let you run multiple tasks in sequence—perfect for build, test, and deploy pipelines.

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Tips for Getting the Most Out of Workspace Tasks

• Single-click a task to open its definition file (when applicable)
• Use the collapse button (⊟) to toggle view states:
  • First click: Collapse task type groups
  • Second click: Collapse workspace folders
  • Third click: Expand everything
• Create .tasksignore files to exclude unwanted tasks from your task list
• Drag the Explorer view to any panel location (sidebar, panel, or floating window)
• Use Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) to search and run tasks by name
• Configure task discovery depth with workspaceTasks.taskDiscovery.fetchDepth to improve performance in large repos

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Next Steps

Supported Task Types	See all 20+ supported build tools and frameworks
Favorites & Recent Tasks	Learn how to pin and track tasks
Compound Tasks (Queues)	Build and run workflow sequences
Configuration	Customize the extension to your needs
Task Filtering	Exclude unwanted tasks with .tasksignore
Requirements	External tool requirements for task execution

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Table of contents

• ⬇️ Installation
• 📃 Requirements
• 🏃‍➡️ Quick Start